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Puerto Rico Research Hub Officially Opens Its Doors
The Puerto Rico Research Hub welcomed the public and the academic community to its new office space Wednesday at an official open house. Director Fernando Rivera, Ph.D., repeated his pledge to use the research expertise of the hub to improve the lives of the Puerto Rican community. “We want to be accessible. Our goal […]
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Summer Internship Opportunities
As the temperature gets warmer, we’re all thinking about summer plans. An internship or study abroad program can be a great opportunity for students to gain real-life experience in their field of study and travel to a new place. Here are a few with upcoming deadlines: EEOP Internships Application Due: February 25, 2019 Internship Period: […]
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GIS Academy Gives Teachers Hands-On Experience
By Bo Yang, Ph.D. Citizen Science GIS Teacher Academy successfully taught teachers about maps, apps and drones at a special event at UCF’s Research Park on Feb. 2. In the first session on Geospatial Technologies for Community Engagement, teachers received an overview of some of the ways to engage students with these technologies, and challenged […]
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Fall ’18 Ph.D. Graduates Honored At Reception
Seventeen students graduating with their doctorate degrees were honored at a reception Thursday. Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., along with the students’ faculty advisors and family celebrated the graduation with individual recognition and a champagne toast. Click here to view the full gallery of photos. The students are: Physics Daniel Bonior, Ph.D., faculty advisor, Eduardo […]
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COS Distinguished Alumni Award Winners 2018
Ten College of Sciences alumni were recognized Thursday for their career achievements at the 2018-19 Distinguished Alumni Awards. “Tonight’s awardees were selected based on their professional achievement, exceptional community service and reflection of the college’s mission to expand knowledge in the sciences, mathematical sciences, and communications,” COS Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., told the audience gathered […]
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IBM Partnership Boosts GeoBus
A first-of-its-kind mobile science laboratory recently received a big boost in funding thanks to a new community partner in IBM. The GeoBus is a 42-foot bus that, when complete, will be filled with technology like mini-drones, an augmented reality sandbox and virtual reality goggles that bring the world of mapping and geospatial technologies to […]
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Multi-Agency Approach Key To Curbing Human Trafficking
Greater Orlando’s multi-agency approach to stopping human trafficking is the topic of a paper authored by members of UCF’s Department of Sociology. Florida currently ranks third in the U.S. for human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery. The more common reasons for trafficking are for sex — similar to prostitution — and for working long […]
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Reflecting on Hurricane Maria One Year Later
By: Dr. Fernando Rivera Associate Professor of Sociology Director, Puerto Rico Research Hub I clearly remember speaking on the phone with my father the day before Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. I felt reassured knowing he had all of the essentials to withstand the impact of the storm, and I was confident we would speak […]
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Researchers Receive $1.25 Million Grant to Map Marine Ecosystems With Drones
By Rachel Wimmer You may soon be able to spot UCF drones collecting data all along the Pacific coast — from Baja California to Alaska. Timothy Hawthorne, assistant professor of GIS in the Department of Sociology, and his collaborators at the Smithsonian Institution, Cornell University and the University of California-Davis recently received a $1.25 million grant […]
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Congratulations, Summer 2018 Ph.D. Grads!
The College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson. Twenty students were recognized at the ceremony with their family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Teresa Dorman honored each student individually by presenting their research and a brief description of their dissertation. Afterward, the group toasted […]
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Society and the Seven Deadly Sins
James Wright is no stranger to publishing, having already written 25 books and over 300 articles and essays. Now, this retired sociology professor adds another publishing success under his belt- as of May 16, his new book, Lost Souls: Manners and Morals in Contemporary American Society, is out in the world! In Lost Souls, Wright […]
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National Geographic Selects State Steward from UCF
UCF Assistant Professor of Geographic Information Systems Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D., has been named The Florida Geography Steward by National Geographic. As the Geography Steward for the state of Florida, Hawthorne will work with National Geographic staff, government staff, teachers, parents, business leaders and other stakeholders to enhance K-12 geography education and research in Florida and […]
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Congratulations, Spring 2018 Ph.D. Graduates!
The College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D. Twelve students were recognized at the ceremony with their family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Jana Jasinski, Ph.D., honored each student individually by presenting their research and a brief description of their dissertation. Afterward, […]
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Building a More Sustainable Orlando
The sounds of construction can be heard on the third floor of Orlando City Hall. The building is being retrofitted with energy efficient technology as part of the City of Orlando’s sustainability initiatives. It’s one of the many projects currently underway and supervised by sustainability director Chris Castro ’10 and sustainability project manager Brittany Sellers […]
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Opioid Misuse Isn’t White or Black Issue
Although the opioid epidemic has been portrayed in the media as a largely “white” epidemic, a UCF study finds this drug doesn’t discriminate. The abuse of opioids affects whites and blacks almost equally, according to a study led by sociology doctoral student Harvey Nicholson. His findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Drug and Alcohol […]
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Citizen Science GIS Team Unites Community Using Drones
UCF’s Citizen Science GIS team has spent the last few years using drone technology to map the coastline and local island communities of Belize. Led by UCF’s assistant professor, Timothy L. Hawthorne, Ph.D., the Citizen Science GIS team aims to strengthen the connections between science and society through geographic information systems and drones. As an […]
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National Coastal Center Launches at UCF
UCF has launched a national research center focused on finding big-picture solutions to threats facing coastal communities. In 2017, federal and local governments in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico spent more than $284 billion to deal with the impact of hurricanes and flooding, according to NOAA. “There’s a perfect storm coming,” said Graham Worthy, UCF biologist […]
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Sociology Post-Doc Wins STEM Scholars Award
Hannah Torres, Ph.D., came to UCF from the University of South Florida to take part in an exciting and meaningful research project. She completed her doctoral degree in geography and environmental science and policy, and holds a master’s degree in coastal environmental management. The choice to apply for the post-doc position at UCF was an […]
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Congratulations, Fall 2017 Ph.D. Graduates
In a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., the College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in the Physical Sciences building. Thirteen students were recognized with family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Teresa Dorman, Ph.D., honored each student by presenting their research and dissertation. A champagne toast followed to […]
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Kids ‘Drone’ Up Interest in Citizen Science GIS
by Rachel Williams More than 350 4th-12th grade students, their teachers and parents Wednesday saw firsthand at UCF how apps, maps and drones are used in geographic information systems, an interdisciplinary field that captures, analyzes and presents geographic data in meaningful ways. Students flew mini drones over a model town to simulate how GIS professionals fly […]
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Ph.D. Candidate Closing the Health Gap
Selected as a Health Policy Research Scholar, sociology Ph.D. candidate Harvey Nicholson works to close the gap in health disparities throughout the United States. Out of 295 applicants, Nicholson was one of 40 chosen to be a part of this national leadership program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Nicholson’s research focuses on the […]
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Team Works to Understand Social Behavior
by Mark Schlueb The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded a combined $12.5 million in federal contracts to two UCF research teams to develop models and massive simulations to help understand online social behavior and predict the spread of information in online social networks. DARPA awarded $6.3 million to a team led by Associate […]
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Making Puppies Popular for Abuse Victims
November’s Outstanding AlumKnight Jessie Holton, Ed.D., has spent his life giving back to the community. A United States Marine Corps veteran, Holton now works in Brevard County’s Special Victims Unit as a major crimes investigator. He pairs this with continued research at UCF, working to understand the needs of his community and creating programs to […]
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Drone Research Hits New Heights
As the popularity of drones and geospatial technologies continues to rise, the Citizen Science GIS research team at University of Central Florida aims to train the next generation of community-minded scientists in the art and science of drone flights, image processing, open data sharing and spatial storytelling with drone imagery. The National Science Foundation has […]
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UCF Alumna Creates Her Own Path
Recent UCF graduate Nicolette Jackson has a passion for people and a desire to impact legislature. She spent this past summer working in the District Office of state Rep. Sharon Pritchett as she makes preparations to head to law school. While Jackson’s degree is in Social Sciences, she also obtained three minors in sociology, anthropology […]
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The 2017-18 Distinguished Speaker Series is Here!
The UCF College of Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series is back this September with six UCF faculty who are experts in topics relevant to the natural, computational, social or behavioral sciences and the developments in their respective fields. This year’s 2017-18 series will be held monthly at Tuscawilla Country Club at 6 p.m., from September 2017 […]
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Introducing 13 New Ph.D. Graduates
In a reception hosted by Dean Michael Johnson, Ph.D., the College of Sciences celebrated its new Ph.D. graduates in the Physical Sciences building. Thirteen students were recognized with family members and faculty advisors by their side. Associate Dean Teresa Dorman, Ph.D., honored each student by presenting their research and dissertation. A champagne toast followed to celebrate the students’ […]
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Using Data to Tell a Story
The world is changing every day. We have more data than ever to tell us about people and explain incredible phenomena. For two University of Central Florida alumnae, data is being used to change the world for the better. Sara S. Vega, Ph.D. (left) and Jenny Nguyen (right), Ph.D., both graduated from UCF in May […]
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Citizen Science GIS Team Awarded for Spatial Storytelling
By Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala Esri, a leader in spatial analytics, recognized a team from the University of Central Florida with its Special Achievement in GIS Award during the annual Esri User Conference last week. Citizen Science GIS, a collaborative effort led by UCF geographic information system Assistant Professor Tim Hawthorne, was among the 180 selected […]
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Socializing on Mars
Ensuring the survival of humankind, making new extraterrestrial discoveries, and discovering the potential for technological and medical advancements. These are just a few reasons why many scientists believe the colonization of Mars should be the next big step in space exploration. Although it would be a major breakthrough, sending astronauts into space for a prolonged […]